The race

Jimmy Billy’s yellow eyes gleamed. "What is your greatest strength?"

Ro immediately opened his mouth—but My-My clamped a hand over it.

She grinned. "Ohhh, no no no, mister tricky toad. We see what you’re doing!"

Jimmy Billy smirked. "Do you?"

Kai folded his arms, thinking. "Greatest strength, huh… Well, I’d say it’s something that can be seen but never truly measured."

Ro muttered under My-My’s hand, "What the hell does that even mean?"

Jimmy Billy clapped his hands. "Not bad, not bad." He turned to My-My. "Your turn."

She hesitated, glancing at Kai. "Uhh… It’s something that makes people go ‘Wow!’ but can’t be held?"

The toad’s eyes narrowed.

Finally, he chuckled. "Fine. Next question."

Jimmy Billy’s tone grew darker. "You stand at a fork in the road. One path leads to your greatest dream, but you must abandon everything you love to reach it. The other path leads to nothing but suffering, yet you stay with those you cherish. Which do you choose?"

Silence.

My-My swallowed hard. "That’s… that’s not fair."

Jimmy Billy grinned. "Life isn’t."

Kai exhaled slowly. "Choosing means giving you an answer. And giving you an answer means failing."

Jimmy Billy clapped his hands together. "Oh-ho! Now we’re getting somewhere!"

Ro rolled his shoulders. "You can’t trick me into making a choice I never made."

The toad laughed. "Not bad, not bad at all. Last question."

Jimmy Billy’s gaze darkened, his voice carrying a weight far heavier than before. "Who are you… really?"

The words struck deeper than any trick question before.

My-My blinked. "Huh? That’s easy! I’m—" She suddenly hesitated, her usual cheerful confidence wavering.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by ‘really’?"

Jimmy Billy smirked. "Oh, you know exactly what I mean. Strip away the bravado, the names, the achievements, the things people tell you that you are. If everything was taken from you—who would remain?"

The air felt heavier.

Ro clenched his fists. His whole life, people had called him a delinquent, a troublemaker, a thief. But was that him?

Kai exhaled slowly. "If we answer that, we fail."

Jimmy Billy’s smile widened. "Do you?"

My-My crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks in frustration. "Ugh, this is a headache!"

Ro smirked. "Then don’t answer."

Kai nodded. "The only one who decides who we are… is us."

Jimmy Billy’s grin froze. His eyes gleamed with something unreadable—approval, maybe. Then, slowly, he laughed. "Well, well, well. You brats might actually have what it takes!"

The hidden door behind him rumbled open.

The tro entered ,As they descended the stairs, the air grew thick with tension. The underground chamber was massive, dimly lit by torches along the walls. The room was packed with people—fighters from all walks of life. Some leaned against the walls with their arms crossed, others sat on the ground meditating, and a few were engaged in hushed conversations.

Among the crowd, several figures stood out:

— A towering lizard-like humanoid with jagged scales and piercing yellow eyes, smirking as he locked eyes with them.

— A masked man dressed in sleek black robes, sitting eerily still with his hands folded.

— A massive, buff guy with arms as thick as tree trunks, cracking his knuckles.

— A strange alien with pitch-black skin and glowing silver eyes, expression unreadable.

— A kid who looked to be around Ro’s age, casually tossing a small knife in the air and catching it.

Kai whistled. “Wow. That’s a lot of people.”

Ro scoffed. “Tell me about it.”

My-My pressed herself closer to Ro, whispering, “They all look kinda scary… especially that lizard guy.”

The lizard smirked wider, his reptilian tongue flicking out slightly as if tasting the air.

My-My shuddered. “Ugh! He’s so creepy.”

Ro rolled his shoulders. “Meh. If he tries any slick shit with you, I’ll beat his ass.”

My-My beamed. “Aww! Thanks, brother.”

That’s when they both noticed something strange—Kai was off to the side, a small knife in his hand, shaving his own hair.

Ro’s eyes widened. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Kai didn’t even flinch. “Shaving my head.”

My-My tilted her head. “Why?”

Kai shrugged. “Didn’t like my hair. Plus, I think being bald is cool.”

Ro gave him a deadpan stare. “You’re the weirdest guy I’ve ever met.”

Kai grinned. “And yet, here we are—training under me.”

My-My giggled. “I think you look cool, Kai! Like… um… a wise monk!”

Kai smirked. “I’ll take that.”

Ro just shook his head. “This tournament’s gonna be a circus…”

Then the kid who's around Ro’s age casually strolled up to them, hands in his pockets and a playful smirk on his face. He had Snow-white messy, spiked-up look with significant layers, sharp purple eyes filled with mischief, and a relaxed but confident posture. His clothes were sleek but practical, designed for mobility—clearly someone who valued both style and efficiency.

His gaze landed directly on My-My, and he grinned. “Hey there, beautiful. Name’s Renji.”

My-My immediately turned red. “O-Oh! Uh… I’m My…”

Renji chuckled, tilting his head slightly. “My, huh? Cute name for a cute girl.”

Ro’s eye twitched. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of My-My, blocking Renji’s path. “Hey, buddy, I think you need to step away from my sister.”

Renji raised an eyebrow, his smirk never fading. “Relax, man. I’m not gonna hurt her or anything. I just think she’s cute, that’s all.”

My-My giggled, clearly flustered by the attention. “Hehe… no one’s ever called me cute before.”

Ro clenched his fists. “Yep. I already know where this is going, and I ain’t letting it happen.”

My-My tilted her head. “What do you mean, Ro?”

Ro crossed his arms. “Uh, you know exactly what I mean.”

Renji smirked, leaning in slightly. “Ohhh, overprotective brother type, huh? That’s adorable.”

Ro scowled. “Call me adorable again and see what happens.”

Renji laughed. “Alright, alright, I’ll behave… for now.”

Kai, who had been watching the interaction with mild amusement, glanced around the coliseum. “Hmm… I wonder what we’ll actually be doing here.”

Renji’s smirk faded slightly as his sharp eyes scanned the area. “That’s the real question, isn’t it?” His tone shifted, becoming more analytical. “There’s too many people here for a simple brawl. This tournament isn’t just about strength… it’s gonna test us in ways we won’t expect.”

Kai nodded. “That’s what I was thinking too. Feels like we’re being watched.”

Renji grinned again. “Oh, we are being watched. Probably evaluated, too.”

Ro, still glaring at him, muttered, “You’re real quick to figure stuff out, huh?”

Renji smirked. “That’s kinda my thing. You’ll get used to it.”

Ro rolled his eyes. “Yeah, don’t count on it.”

Renji leaned forward, flashing his usual confident grin. “Anyway, how about us four work together?”

Kai nodded immediately. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

My beamed. “Yeah! Teamwork makes the dream work!”

Ro, however, folded his arms and scowled. “No, no, no—I ain't agreeing to this.”

Renji smirked. “Well, your friend and your sister think otherwise.”

Ro gritted his teeth. “Grr…” He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples before groaning. “Fine. But if I catch you flirting with my sister, you’re cooked.”

Renji raised his hands in surrender, his grin never faltering. “Got it, got it! Wouldn’t dream of it.”

My giggled, but Ro kept his sharp glare on Renji. Kai, meanwhile, was looking around the underground coliseum with a thoughtful expression.

Before any more could be said, a deafening metallic screech echoed through the massive chamber. The ground trembled slightly beneath them. A mechanical voice boomed from unseen speakers:

“ATTENTION, PARTICIPANTS! CHALLENGE ONE… THE DEATH RUN… BEGINS NOW.”

The walls suddenly shifted, and massive stone doors slid open, revealing an enormous tunnel stretching into the darkness. Faint torches lined the sides, flickering weakly, barely lighting the treacherous path ahead.

A massive digital countdown appeared above the tunnel entrance: 60 SECONDS TO ENTRY.

Kai crossed his arms. “A death run, huh? Sounds dangerous.”

Renji grinned. “Death’s in the name. I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t.”

Ro cracked his knuckles. “Tch. Whatever. We’ll crush it.”

My clapped her hands together. “Ohhh, I love running!” She paused. “Wait… why is it called a ‘death’ run?”

As if to answer her question, a loud BOOM erupted from the tunnel. The ground quaked as massive spinning saw blades extended from the walls, swinging unpredictably. Sections of the floor collapsed, revealing deep, spike-filled pits. Further ahead, flame-spewing traps ignited, their heat distorting the air.

The countdown continued ticking down. 30 SECONDS.

Kai grinned. “Now this… this is gonna be fun.”

Renji chuckled. “Only if you survive.”

Ro rolled his shoulders. “Hmph. Just try not to slow me down.”

My gulped. “U-uh… maybe I don’t love running that much…”

The countdown hit 10 SECONDS.

9… 8… 7…

The air grew thick with anticipation as every participant braced themselves.

3… 2… 1…

BEEP!

The challenge had begun.